Persistence and Determination

 

Recently I was reading one of the periodicals I get, and found a quote credited to Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States of America.

It read:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not. Un-rewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

I believe this quote to be mostly accurate, but it fails to state that Talent, Genius and Education complement persistence and determination. Persistence and determination without education, and some level of talent, may not allow you to meet your goals.

We, as clay target shooters, have to have some talent in order to attain the level of shooting we desire.

I’m not quite sure how genius affects us as clay target shooters, but watch some of the greats in our sport and genius becomes evident.

Few, if any, competitive clay target shooters attained any level of skill without education. Someone either told them or showed them how to mount their shotgun, how to stand, where to look for the target, and most everything else associated with their skill level.

The application of Persistence and Determination is where we practice what we’ve learned through education, exhibiting our genius and showing our talent. Persistence with determination should become the driving forces in your practice regime. Learn and practice. Your talent will show as well as your genius.

Stay safe,

Barry Hartmann